The Cost-efficacy of Psychological Intervention for Strengthening Parental Authority Among Parents of Diabetic Adolescents With Poor Glycemic Control

A three arms, open, randomized interventional study including 100 participants in order to evaluate the cost-efficacy of psychological intervention for strengthening parental authority among parents of diabetic adolescents with poor glycemic control.

Objectives:

• The primary purpose of the study is to evaluate the immediate effectiveness and the long run effectiveness of psychological intervention for strengthening parental authority among parents of diabetic adolescents with poor glycemic control.
• To evaluate the cost as appose to the benefit of the psychological intervention.
• To characterize the different variables in parent's attitude that improve their children's glycemic control.
• To develop a therapy model for strengthening parent's authority which will be suitable for parents of diabetic adolescents.

Study design:

All participants in the study will be randomized to three different groups:

• A treatment group that will go through psychological treatment to strengthen the parents authority.
• A control group that will get an education of a nurse and a dietician
• A control group that will not get any intervention. All groups will include parents of diabetic adolescents with poor glycemic control.

The following data will be analyzed during the study:

• Changes in glycemic control will be measured by levels of HbA1C.
• Changes in the diabetes treatment by the adolescents will be measured by adherence to insulin injections, the number of times a day in which the patient checked his blood glucose values, number of visits in the clinic and psychological questionnaires.
• Consumption of health services
• Changes in parents attitude and changes in the wellbeing of the diabetic adolescents and their parents will be based on questionnaires.

Inclusion criteria

• Parents of adolescents between the ages of 10-18
• More than one year diabetes
• Adolescent's HbA1c>8

Exclusion criteria

• Adolescents or parents of adolescents that are mentally retarded.
• Another chronic disease besides diabetes.
• Adolescents that are taking medications that might disturb their glycemic control.